With the advent of digital imaging and the popularity of the digital camera, the number of digital images stored on personal computers, on removable storage devices, and online at a service provider has increased exponentially. Digital image files originating from a digital still camera include the digital images and also typically include metadata generated from the digital camera. The metadata can be relevant information fundamental to the camera's function at the time of image capture, such as shutter speed, aperture, focal length, date, time etc. The relevant information can be stored as part of a digital image file or in an associated database of metadata. Such metadata can be useful in finding a specific image associated with the digital image file at some point in the future.
However, a consumer typically searches for a digital image file by looking for certain people, places or things that are present in an image associated with the digital image file. Metadata regarding the content of the image is a useful tool in the location of such files, but is rarely added by most consumers due to the tedious process of organization structures, like keywords found in a typical software application such as iPhoto™ from Apple Computer. Because consumers rarely take the time to add keywords relevant to the content of the image, digital image files deficient in content-relevant metadata are very common.
Following this trend and adding to the growing numbers of digital image files, hard copy silver halide prints are being scanned and creating even more digital image files that don't have camera-generated relevant metadata. Typically, computer operating systems will use the digital image file creation date when searching by date. However, with digital image files that originate from scanned hard copy prints, the file creation data is the date that the hard copy print was scanned and is not the desired date that the photograph was taken. Such digital image files are deficient in any relevant metadata. An additional burden to the growing collection of digital image files created by digital cameras is the cumulative organizational task of adding metadata to digital image files which becomes too time consuming for most consumers.
Another form of a digital image file adding to the growing number of digital image files is the video file. Significant numbers of digital still cameras today include the ability to capture video. Video files present an even more difficult opportunity with respect to relevant metadata.
As such, there is a need to automatically present images and content-relevant metadata to a user without the user's active intervention in a non-obtrusive manner. As various content-based image recognition algorithms continue to advance the art, there is a need to assist a consumer who might wish to supplement the camera-generated relevant metadata included with their digital image files. There is a further need to recognize the advance of technology with respect to image analysis and content-relevant metadata determination and assist the consumer in refining the established metadata associated with their digital image files.